Shaft and pulley assembly

Abstract

A shaft and pulley assembly for a blower having a scroll housing containing an impeller utilizes a square section shaft having a pulley retained thereon, an impeller having a hub with inner surfaces which lie in face-to-face contiguity with the shaft, a pair of adaptors having inner surfaces which also lie in face-to-face contiguity with the shaft and having curved external surfaces which support the adaptors from bearings which are themselves carried in bearing housings which are fixed with respect to the scroll housing, at least one of the adaptors having latches thereon which retain its said bearing against displacement.

We claim: 
     
       1. A shaft and pulley assembly for a blower having a scroll housing containing an impeller, a square section shaft, a pulley, and means retaining the pulley on the shaft, said impeller having a hub with inner surfaces lying in face-to-face contiguity with surfaces of the shaft,   a pair of adaptors carried on the shaft near respective ends thereof, each adaptor having four bearing lands of resilient plastics material, inner surfaces of the bearing lands lying in face-to-face contiguity with surfaces of the shaft, each bearing land having a curved external surface,   a pair of bearings carried on respective said adaptors supported by said curved external surfaces thereof, and latches on at least one of said adaptors retaining its said bearing against relative displacement in an axial direction, and   a pair of bearing housings each fixed with respect to said scroll housing, and each carrying a respective said bearing.   
     
     
       2. A shaft and pulley assembly according to claim 1 wherein said means retaining the pulley on the shaft comprises a pin in the shaft located near one end of the pulley hub. 
     
     
       3. A shaft and pulley assembly according to claim 2 comprising a pair of further pins in the shaft located one at each end of the impeller hub retaining the impeller hub on the shaft. 
     
     
       4. A shaft and pulley assembly according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the bearing lands comprises a resilient outstanding latch which retains a respective said bearing against axial dislodgement when that said land is inhibited from radially inward deflection by engagement against a said shaft surface. 
     
     
       5. A shaft and pulley assembly according to claim 4 wherein one of said adaptors comprises at least one latch arm which releasably engages said pulley. 
     
     
       6. A shaft and pulley assembly according to claim 4 wherein one of said adaptors comprises a resilient finger with a spigot near one end thereof, and said shaft contains an aperture releasably engageable by said spigot. 
     
     
       7. A shaft and pulley assembly according to claim 1 wherein each said bearing housing comprises a plurality of projections, and a bayonet-type retaining ring having a plurality of inturned flanges engageable over said housing projections, said retaining ring releasably retaining a said bearing in its housing. 
     
     
       8. A shaft and pulley assembly according to claim 7 further comprising a pair of elastomeric annular spacer rings between their bearings and their respective said housings, each said retaining ring abutting a respective said spacer ring. 
     
     
       9. A shaft and pulley assembly according to claim 1 wherein said impeller comprises a central wheel interconnecting the impeller blower blades to the impeller hub, said central wheel comprising a plurality of webs which slope in elevation, interconnected by a plurality of axially extending ribs.